Indefinite-Detention Legislation Advances

Israel’s parliament gave preliminary approval to a law that would jail indefinitely two top Lebanese guerrillas who are seeking release by the courts after years of detention without trial. The human rights group B’Tselem said passage of the government-sponsored legislation, by a vote of 22 to 6, means Israel is on the way to becoming the first country to sanction by law the holding of hostages. Final approval of the bill would quash legal action to free Mustafa Dirani of the Amal movement and Sheik Abdel Karim Obeid of Hezbollah, kidnapped as bargaining chips for an Israeli airman missing in Lebanon since 1986.